In 1995, after Netscape introduced the first browser for the masses, Internet connectivity hit critical mass. Encryption algorithms enabled open security protocols, culminating in Netscape's Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and the Internet Engineering Task Force's IP Security, paving the way for cost-effective e-commerce and virtual private networks (VPNs).

Initially, implementations for infrastructure security were "bolt-ons"-added devices or software supporting encryption-only portions of the infrastructure. SSL appliances and VPN boxes emerged, running on general-purpose computing platforms. While the solutions were better than no security, they were proprietary and ad hoc. Dedicated security devices required separate capital outlay, were complex to manage and were often a network's single point of failure. Internet infrastructure speed outpaced security performance. As a result, infrastructure security was the exception, not the rule.

In the last five years, a new fiber infrastructure has emerged as optical speed and Gigabit Ethernet technology allowed equipment upgrades to meet performance demands. With this market catalyst, progressive semiconductor companies could offer optical I/O, network processor-based Gigabit Ethernet acceleration solutions, resulting in the availability of gigabit network equipment.

As corporations move toward "collaborative enterprises," they need new supply-chain management and access to ubiquitous corporate networks. In SSL, doing business means incorporating hardware SSL acceleration into the Internet-exposed data device. Publicly accessible information protection becomes essential.

For VPNs, layering multiple secure connections over the Internet allowed the leveraging of one broadband connection to do the work of many traditional Layer 2 connections. But, where is data secured? If end-to-end security is desired, then encrypting end-to-end should be done. Unfortunately, management and usability reasons in a business environment make that impractical.

The evolution toward fiber-optic technologies has allowed Internet equipment upgrades. By incorporating security in the infrastructure, vendors can provide equipment that scales as security requirements change, allowing dynamic control and simplified network management, thus reducing the cost of maintaining networks. It's time to place uniform Internet security in next-generation infrastructure buildout and set new rules for security. The opportunity is here to integrate security in the Internet infrastructure, where it belongs.

Richard Takahashi is President and Chief Executive Officer of Corrent Corp. (Tempe, Ariz.).